It was the right result for Euro 2000 - a tournament that represented a true Renaissance for football. But how close it was.

For all their flair, World Cup winners France were just seconds away from failure when substitute Sylvain Wiltord equalised with virtually the last kick of normal time.

Italian heads - which had not dropped even when playing a man short against hosts Holland in the semi-final - were suddenly ripe for the Guillotine.

It was left to another sub, Juventus-bound David Trezeguet, to perform the final act - a tremendous shot from Robert Pires' pass for a truly golden goal.

As a result, France became the first World Cup winners to go on and conquer Europe two years later. They boast the world's best player, Zinedine Zidane, the world's best defender Marcel Desailly and produced the best football at the European Championship since the only other French team to win it - the Michel Platini-inspired class of 1984.

It was gripping stuff. Marco Delvecchio's first goal for Italy after 55 minutes had given the Azzurri something to cling to. And cling they did until deep into injury-time when Wiltord struck a low left foot shot that squirmed under Francesco Toldo’s despairing dive to find its way into the back of the net.

Only one team looked to score the golden goal in extra-time. Pires, who is involved in a tug-of-war between Arsenal and Real Madrid, surged deep into the Italian area to provide David Trezeguet with a shooting chance 12 yards from goal.

The departing Monaco striker made no mistake with an effort that flew into the top right hand corner of the goal to end Italians dreams of a first major tournament win since 1982.

Trezuguet, whose transfer fee of £15million now looks a bargain, will be remembered as the striker whose goal made sure the good guys won.

Dino Zoff’s Italy were left broken men on the Rotterdam turf as Didier Deschamps lifted the Euro 2000 trophy. Not many water carriers can boast captaining their teams to the World Cup, Serie A, Champions League and European Championship.

'Les Bleus', fielding nine of the team that emphatically triumphed over Brazil two years ago in the Stade de France, won the first battle of the game, turning out in their traditional blue shirts with Italy bedecked in unfamiliar white. But they were to win little else in the first 45 minutes as Italy expertly contained the favourites.

Predictably, the contest started at a hectic pace with Italy getting the better of the early exchanges, forcing two corners in the first three minutes. Roma striker Francesco Totti should have done better with a free header from the Stefano Fiore’s latter cross.

France responded well and stretched the Italians' blanket defence with some raking cross-field balls. Thierry Henry nearly produced the strangest goal of the tournament when, as he ran in the direction of the corner flag, he shot from the right hand corner of the penalty area. Toldo, the penalty-saving hero of the Italians' victory over Holland, appeared calm and collected until the ball surprisingly hit the post.

Similar to both semi-finals, the game was being played out in front of both defences with the contestants seeing a lot of the ball without threatening the goal. Zidane was unusually quiet and Italy’s creative duo of Totti and Fiore - preferred to Del Piero and Inzaghi - were spending most of their time as the first line of defence.

On the half-hour, the Azzurri seemed to have stamped their personality on proceedings as the speed and the flow of the game dropped. The climate had also become heated as Fabio Cannavaro and Marco Delvecchio introduced themselves to Dugarry’s head and Barthez’ leg.

Neither challenge was as sinister as Marcel Desailly's retribution on Cannavaro as he flailed an elbow into the Parma defender's face, as the two sides jostled awaiting a French corner. Once again, UEFA will be required to act retrospectively as Swedish referee Anders Frisk was unsighted.

Zoff’s side had established their grip and it was up to Roger Lemerre’s side to wrestle themselves free. Henry did his best to end the frustration of the French and went on an incisive run down the left channel four minutes after half time. The Highbury man reached the byline and pulled the ball invitingly back across goal, but his pace was also too much for his colleagues who were absent from the attack.

Italy then went and turned the game on its head. Totti produced the best pass of the match after 55 minutes, a perfect back heel under pressure to release Gianluca Pessotto down the right.

The Juventus man crossed exquisitely to the back post, eliminating Barthez in the process, to where Delvecchio was waiting. He crowned his sixth cap and first start of the tournament with a clinical left foot volley from six yards that smashed against the back of the net.

In one move, Italy demonstrated that they can attack with as much skill and grace as their revered opposition. A fact that makes their negative approach to football all the more frustrating.

To the sound of ‘Allez Les Bleus’, the world champions’ attempted to restore parity, through efforts from Wiltord after 59 minutes, and Djorkaeff three minutes later. The Italians, though, looked confident and comfortable as they repelled everything that was thrown at them and even found time for the occasional counter attack, Delvecchio wasting the best of the chances after 69 minutes.

After 84 minutes, Italy nearly scored a killer second goal when substitute Massimo Ambrosini slotted a slide rule pass to the lurking Del Piero. With the whole of Italy on its feet the highest paid player in the world shot low and hard, but Barthez saved well.

The significance of the keeper's intervention was underlined when France, in injury-time and looking desperately short of ideas, saw Wiltord slip into the left side of the Italian area and shoot across Toldo to the far post.

The man who made 11 stops in the semi-final encounter somehow let a saveable shot squirm under his left arm and into the back of the net. From the point of oblivion, the champions of the world showed they have as much character as skill and took the game into extra time and the period of the ‘golden goal’.